Hawkins Elementary is piloting a program with a goal of reaching the individual needs of each student. The data driven program gives educators the opportunity to collaborate on the needs of each student.

They named the program WIN, which stands for What I Need. “Identifying the needs of each student and meeting those needs is the focus of this new program,” said Hawkins Elementary principal Stephanie McConnell.

Each grade has an hour timeslot that does not overlap and is broken down into two 30-minute blocks. During the 30-minute block, each student has a custom schedule depending on the areas they may need to improve or expand their skills.

This schedule is followed every day for three weeks. After three weeks the teachers, interventionist and the principal come together and meet to evaluate the progress of every student and adjust their unique schedule accordingly. During the meeting, staff members use data gathered during bench mark testing as well as progress made in daily classroom activities to develop a plan for each student.

During the two blocks students may visit the dyslexia teacher, the ESL teacher, participate in a reading group, a math group, the computer lab, gifted and talented class or one of several other customized group and learning experiences.

According to Hawkins Elementary staff, the students enjoy the transition time and learned very quickly where they were supposed to be during the blocks. “This individualized instruction has given our students a sense of independence and maturity and we so pleased with the results,” said Hawkins Elementary Counselor, Erica Mayfield.

“We are so excited to be able to truly customize a portion of the daily education our students receive. No two students have the same plan. We are seeing so much progress with each evaluation. I am excited to see how our students are going to continue to grow,” McConnell said.